GENNI GUNN is an author, musician and translator. Born in Trieste, she came to Canada when she was eleven.
She has published thirteen books: three novels — SOLITARIA (longslisted for the Giller Prize), TRACING IRIS (made into a film, The Riverbank), and THRICE UPON A TIME (finalist for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize); three short story collections — PERMANENT TOURISTS (finalist for the ReLit Award), HUNGERS, and ON THE ROAD; three poetry collections — ACCIDENTS, FACELESS and MATING IN CAPTIVITY (finalist for the Gerald Lampert Award), and a collection of personal essays, TRACKS: JOURNEYS IN TIME AND PLACE.
As well, she has translated from Italian three collections of poems by two renowned Italian authors: DEVOUR ME TOO (finalist for the John Glassco Translation Prize)and TRAVELLING IN THE GAIT OF A FOX (finalist for the Premio Internazionale Diego Valeri for Literary Translation)by Dacia Maraini, and TEXT ME (Signature Editions, 2014) by Corrado Calabrò.
As well as books, Genni has written an opera libretto, ALTERNATE VISIONS, produced by Chants Libres (music by John Oliver). The opera premiered in Montreal in 2007, and was projected in a simulcast at The Western Front in Vancouver; her poem, "Hot Summer Nights" has been turned into classical vocal music by John Oliver, and performed internationally.
Before she turned to writing full-time, Gunn toured Canada extensively with a variety of bands (bass guitar, piano and vocals).
Gunn has a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. from the University of British Columbia. She lives in Vancouver.
I am an avid traveller. You can read my travel essays in TRACKS: JOURNEYS IN TIME AND PLACE.
Read here “Birth Stones,” an essay about one of my favourite places, Matera, Italy.
© 2023 Genni Gunn
Publishing news
Upcoming events
Past events